Mt Warning Hotel - A Century of Hospitality

A Century of Hospitality

The land where the hotel stands was originally owned by Henry Sweetnam and farmed by Mr. George Barnes and his family in 1903. The original Mount Warning Hotel was built in 1914 by Fowler Fitzhenry and his uncle Fowler Askew, with Fitzhenry buying out his uncle in 1916.

To meet the licensing board's requirements, Fitzhenry circulated a petition that secured signatures from 75% of Uki's population. When he applied for a publican's licence in January 1914, the local licensing police sergeant objected, believing "the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood would be disturbed." Nevertheless, the local licensing court granted permission.

The hotel officially opened on December 22nd, 1914, at a cost of £1,500. The first beer was delivered by J.H. Faulks with his four horse-drawn wagons. Sonny Brims always claimed he had the first beer at the hotel when he was just 8 or 9 years old!

Hospitality and High Jinks

The hotel provided accommodations for travellers, with stables at the back and hitching rails in front. It housed permanent boarders who worked at Loder's store, the bakery, or were simply working men without homes.

Guests received tea in bed each morning and could request cut lunches. Meals were proper affairs, with three courses served midday and evenings in a dining room featuring six-seater tables with starched damask tablecloths and folded napkins. A waitress with a menu took orders.

Fowler Fitzhenry was known for his generosity. When women from Perch Creek and Kunghur rode horses into Murwillumbah and returned to Uki, he would stable their horses, provide rooms for the night, and serve breakfast at no charge, saying the ride was too long for them to continue home in one day.

Tragedy and Rebirth

The hotel witnessed its share of tragedies. In 1924, a house painter was found unconscious at the foot of a ladder and later died. In 1943, Mr. Alfred Modini, aged 30, sneezed suddenly while listening to the wireless, then collapsed and died.

More recently, on Saturday night, February 23rd, 2013, the Mount Warning Hotel was destroyed by fire. The blaze started in an electrical board at the base of the stairwell and raced upward "like a chimney." Fire trucks from Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads poured so much water on the flames they emptied the village reservoir.

The new Mount Warning Hotel opened on August 22nd, 2015, with crowds flocking to see the rebuilt landmark. Tony Ellis from Doon Doon had the honour of the first official beer after the opening.

Why not stop here for a well-deserved drink and meal after your historical walk? You've earned it!